A Long Life: The Journey of an Immortal
by madsci111
Summary: OFC Immortal's diary. Originally written as a birthday present for my sister, but I'm doing a major edit, posting as I go.
1. Chapter 1

Mr Granger obviously forgot the book I found this letter and the following stories in was with the books he donated to the library. They show a startling likeness to the movie/television franchise known as Highlander.

_My Dear Clarence,_

_It has been 5 years of marriage, and I felt it was time to explain the vagaries of my life. You have known for a while that I haven't aged appreciably in the 7 years you've known me, that it takes longer and longer to get ready in the morning because I have to hide the fact that I still look a young 18, though all my papers say I'm now almost 26. I have been thinking over the past few years how to tell you in a way you can fully comprehend how this can happen._

_This is the product. I wrote to friends, most of whom you've never met, and pulled in favors from places you'd never believe exist, but here it is, a condensed reckoning of the long years of my life. If you see this before I go, understand that I kept this from you not out of malice, but out of concern for your welfare, that those who wish me harm could not bring you into it. If you hear of my death in a lightning storm in a remote place, goodbye forever, but if it is a car crash, or other such accident, I wish you well, and hope we meet again someday._

_If you wish to publish this compilation as a work of fiction, feel free, but please, don't include this note in any copies._

_With all my love,_

_Catherine Dobbs-Granger_


	2. Chapter 2

Everything you don't recognize is mine, the stuff you do, is part of the Highlander franchise or historical stuff.

**Chronicles of Kratnos**

Recorded by Watcher Nevios

Asst Quartermaster

8th day of the 7th month of the 6th year of the reign of Alexander III

_Alexander's army continues to sweep through the land on the southern shores of the Hyrcania. Kratnos seemed especially interested in the village we passed through yesterday. Despite the full slaughter of all the people in the village, he went back there this afternoon while Alexander and the other generals divided the spoils._

_He has returned with the healer's apprentice slung over his horse's withers. She must have been pre-Immortal, as I distinctly remember Lusimakhos running her through when she was protecting her mistress. I suppose I'd best arrange to move Kratnos' tent further from the center of camp. I can't interfere in Challenges, but I can at least arrange for a quiet venue for her 'introduction to Immortality' speech, as they tend to be loud and/or messy._

9th day of the 7th month of the 6th year of the reign of Alexander III

_At least he's in one piece, and she's now competently working in the medics' tent. Her protests last night at the revelation that she is now Immortal, as they were in her native tongue, were construed by most of the camp to be her protesting being raped. She definitely is angry, but hasn't been taking it out on any of the soldiers._

_He has explained her presence that, she, as a healer, was away from the village gathering herbs, but they had killed her sister, so of course, she was a bit peeved, so don't approach her threateningly, as you might end up castrated. She's feisty, that's for certain._

9th day of the10th month of the 7th year of the reign of Alexander III

_We've made it to a land of large cats and hot air. It took us a long while to cross the mountains, but thankfully, most of us grew up in the mountains, so it wasn't too horrible, despite the gasping for air._

_Ketwa as that's her name, is still with us. She now speaks Greek fluently, though with an accent, and I have observed them sparring in the very early hours of the morning. She's grown quite proficient; she'll likely leave soon._

3rd day of the1th month of the 8th year of the reign of Alexander III

_Kratnos just lost to Caspias. This guy is insane! I hope someone imprisons him, or beheads him to relieve the world of the immortal Cannibal. As I've noted before, Caspias has been following us for a week, shadowing the army. He finally came into camp early this morning, as Ketwa returned from gathering water and new herbs for her poultices. He accosted her outside Kratnos's tent, not noticing her buzz, as it was camouflaged to a large extent by Kratnos. As a matter of honor, Kratnos Challenged Caspias for trying to take 'his woman'._

_Kratnos, despite his overall strategic genius, has some issues with his memory, as he did not recognize the name of the Immortal suspected by most of my brethren to be Pestilence of the Four Horseman. Things went as I feared, the fight was over before Ketwa could rise to her feet to intervene, as she obviously wished to. She did keep her wits about her though; as she made sure she was on horseback out of camp before the Quickening ended._

_I'm not sure how well she'll do, as despite her quick learning of the sword, there is only so much one can learn in a year. In any case, my brethren, keep a watch for her, as she will not get a Watcher of her own until she takes a head._


	3. Chapter 3

Everything you don't recognize is mine, the rest is Highlander or historical stuff.

**Thano's Journal**

_I've spent the past four months combing the library of Alexandria, looking for evidence of Immortals from the area I might need to watch for, and also just taking pleasure in learning, as I've made an effort to do over the past 50 years since I finally caught Kronos and shut him in the well. I've found traces of Cassandra's presence, she's in Delphi, so I'll need to be careful when I head back west._

_What's this? I feel a Presence, its really too weak for a dangerous Immortal, but its impressive that anyone with Presence could get this close without alerting me. It seems that its coming from the balcony above my reading niche. I'd best check who it is, especially as it seems they are leaving with scrolls, they just dropped one._

_I caught up with her a few buildings over from temple grounds. It was actually kind of sweet, she was sprawled on her stomach, humming, dragging her finger along the lines as she read by the light of the full moon. I had assumed it was a pre-Immortal boy, like the ones I tutored. I thought I had succeeded in sneaking up on the miscreant, but as I raised my staff to whack 'him' on the back, she stopped reading and turned over, swinging her sword, though its really a long dagger, from where she had been lying on it. It's amazing, we look enough alike to be siblings, rough-hewn brown hair included. She hasn't the nose, but I'll forgive her. She's so tiny; she must have died when she was still in her mid-teens._

"_Who are you, youngling?" I asked, of course._

"_I'm known as Ekata, here at least."_

_Warily, she changed position so that she was sitting on her heels, sword across her lap, rolling up the scrolls. She walked away from the river more until she was sitting on the lintel of one of the small shrines to Isis. Smirking, I followed. Of course, the first thing out of my mouth was questions about why her teacher wasn't looking for her. I found that her teacher, Kratnos, that Macedonian idiot, was killed in Northern Babylon by Caspian 8 years ago, less than a year and a half after her death. Nice to know the nut's general vicinity._

_I must be getting soft, as I decided to take her in; I've promised to teach her dagger tricks and to bring her scrolls to learn from, she wants to be a healer again. What is my weakness for young Immortal healers? They always get me in trouble. She, at least is used to Immortality, so no anger at the one who killed her being her mentor. _

"Thanos, I must get back to the market, we're out of fennel and foxglove. Lady Safinos sent her messenger about her palpitations **again**. If Clothon, the imp, comes back for his arm splint, tell him to wait."

"Fine, sister mine. Oh, while you are in the market, could you get some figs and some flour? We have nothing left for dinner besides my beer."

"If I'm to get dates and figs, you're coming with me, its too close to the horse market for me to go alone. I can't wear my sword in this getup, and I'll be stoned if I go in what I **can** defend myself in. When I went yesterday, I felt an old Presence, so I'd feel better if you'd come with me."

"If I'm coming with you, Ekata, you'd best tell Baccara the messages to give, she'll be sitting in the courtyard shredding herbs for her dyes all day."

When the two got to the market, they got some strange looks, as here was the young woman they saw almost every day, but she was not alone this time. It wasn't the fact that she was actually escorted, but the rather mild looking man with the long daggers that surprised them. Why would a brother of an age that he should be doing something more useful, be taking his sister to the market?

It made more sense only when they continued down the avenue to the border between the fruit stalls and the horse market, which was especially busy today with a string just in from the far north, brought by a giant of a man that broke a thief's arm earlier.

"I have a beauty for you, Me-!" the giant boomed, stopping when the addressed motioned violently to be quiet.

"Silas, be quiet. I don't go by that name now. Ekata, I'll be right here, but there are some words that need to be said to this man. Don't forget the flour."

"OK, but you have some explaining to do later, and please stay close?"

"So, who was he?"

"Another person who doesn't want to meet Caspias anytime soon. He knew me as Methos. I don't use that name anymore, for various reasons. I'll tell you in a few years. I don't really like to talk about it; I was a bit insane for a long time. Just know that I'm much older than you think I am."

"How can you be sure of my estimation? I'm pretty sure you're almost 3000. Its more from the richness than the volume of the buzz. Besides, you lost control of your buzz during a nightmare, almost deafened me."

Shocked, Methos resolved to tell her after dinner, when there was less likelihood of an emergency, as children would be inside for the day and there were no women coming due soon; therefore, Ekata wouldn't be called away, and the men that would call on him would be eating themselves silly by then.

"I was once a very bad Immortal, I killed indiscriminately, both Immortals and mortals. I was buried alive for 300 years after my first death in a sandstorm, then my teacher found me. I learned with him how to make and wield the bronze swords of the time. After I left him, I traveled much, never staying in one place much. When I started to feel safe staying in place for long enough to have a house, I went back to the hut where I had learned. Unfortunately, a neighboring village knew the basics of what I was, and saw me as a renewable sacrifice. They spent 10 generations learning how far they could go before it took too long to regenerate. They kept me for 20 more generations when a man on a red horse rode out of the sunrise, killing all of the villagers and offering me refuge with him and opportunities to get my revenge on the clueless mortals.

I was, at this point, completely insane, yet my insanity was curable in comparison to the nut that joined us after a few years. By the time our fourth joined, our innocent, yet ruthless, horse-master, I was regaining my sanity and doing all I could to save at least a few people in each raid. By this point we were going after walled cities. I was completely snapped out of it when I met a beautiful merchant's daughter, in northern Mycenae. She's now an Immortal, killed by her husband's mistress, one of the household's bath attendants. I threw the nut off the side of a boat in the middle of the sea with lead tied to his feet. The leader I shut in a dry well on the grounds of a temple of Mithros. Silas was our horse master. He's a bit simple, but he loves animals. He really only killed those who mistreated children or animals.

Well, now you know the horrible story of my rebellious younger years. I hope you can forgive me for consorting with Caspias."

"I'm not happy with you, but if you were insane, I can't really fault you. You are still my big brother, its even better when one's brother is a match for all the bullies. Are you going to show me any tricks you perfected then?"

"Maybe once I can think on that time with anything but pain."

_Little sister left today, she's been with me for 20 years, but unfortunately, since she died so young, she can't stay in one place even as long as I do. The headman of the village in Crete we live in had started to accuse me of consorting with evil spirits, as I had a housemate that never aged past parthenos. She's gone to Greece, planning to study healing at one of Apollo's temples. Thankfully, she learned how to control her buzz, even though she has taken 15 heads since she joined me, she 'sounds' like a pre-Immortal._


	4. Chapter 4

Everything you don't recognize is mine, the rest is Highlander or historical stuff.

**Chronicles of Cassandra**

Recorded by Watcher Navion of Delphi

Lampkeeper in Oracle's Shrine

12th day past Midsummer

_She is not happy, she returned to her lodgings from her duties as a secondary oracle and healer to find a girl whelp stealing bread, a small knife, and documents. Actually, the girl was on her way out as if she had come looking for the healer, saw she wasn't there, then left. It was only by bad luck that the bag the girl carried ripped, revealing her crime. Cassandra grabbed the girl's arm, digging those nails into the flesh. From what I could hear, they argued about a little boy that couldn't make it to the temple grounds, and therefore be granted care. It seems the girl is an accomplished healer, and the boy has an infected cut from falling out of a tree and getting goat feces in the cut._

_It seems Cassandra is letting the girl go, as long as she comes back directly afterward, as they need to talk._

_The little girl is immortal! I haven't heard of any Immortals that 'young' living long enough to acquire any skill with a sword. This girl is named Bastis._

_Bastis is back for more bread, says it has a way of fighting infection. Cassandra is very curious about this new knowledge, but has suddenly gone cold at the name of the person that taught Bastis her craft. What could make a seer, usually so serene, so angry? It is useless to speculate, as we have no information for Cassandra until two hundred years ago._

_They've been arguing for hours now, and I still don't have a name. Just that the man was insane whenever he did the thing that made Cassandra angry, but he's fine now, and helped Bastis get her life on track, and is her older brother in all but blood. The name Silas is mentioned, but is obviously a different person than the bad one, that he's a horse merchant now. I'm more confused than I was before, as they are using epithets rather than names._

_Finally, Cassandra's calmed down a bit and given Bastis more bread and gave her a scroll with tiny writing, supposedly its the text of all 10 scrolls that Bastis tried to steal on one handy sheet, the scroll that she promised earlier. Cassandra has threatened Bastis that if she wants to live she'll stay away from "the scribe" and the next time Bastis and Cassandra meet, it will be at swordpoint._

2 days past the Ides of February, 3rd year in the reign of C Augustus

_Dear Brother,_

_I'm sorry I haven't contacted you in a few years, but there was a bit of a problem getting out of Rome, the Lions and such. That could have been messy, as I had insulted Octavian just as Julius died, helping Victus escape, he wanted to send me to be bait. Something about not enough of those new monotheists to keep the circus going__…_

_In any case, I got a position helping at an apothecary. I've been able to sneak in some growths in place of sheep's dung in the wound unguents, as Bithus, the proprietor, is getting old and his vision is going, along with ease of movement._

3800 Sivan 23

_Bithus has died, so the apothecary is now mine, as none of his children are trained to take it over. His oldest son wants to be a potter, and agrees that his youngest sister will apprentice with me in a few years._

_It has been a few months, but these Paul and Peter guys have been really annoying lately, though their health is going, their words are just as strong. They question my motives and methods. I believe they suspect me of things supernatural, given the efficacy of my potions and my lack of visible aging. Let's just hope they fall ill soon, see how much they appreciate me then._

**Imperial Court, Constantinople**

6 days before the ides of June, 620 AD

_I know I just left you in Egypt a year ago, dear brother, but this newest life is going to be interesting to say the least. The court here takes the worst of the Roman excesses and glazes it with Greek propriety. The court is as crazed as the most deranged of fornication dens, where sex is necessary to cement any ties. I'm not much of a conservative anymore, after the time I was forced into serving wine at that state dinner right before Octavian threw me out, one last humiliation, right?...but this empress, stuck as she is in a state marriage, is not satisfied with a lover or two. She has a lover or two a day!_

_Do not say that I am unused to human nature after my 100 year tenure in a remote oasis; this has little to do with being out of touch with the state of the world. If anything, I'm not horribly surprised, it is human nature to be affectionate pack animals. I'm just a bit uncomfortable with walking in on the empress in the throes with 5 men and one of my fellow personal attendants. No rush to pull bedclothes over the linked parts, but a smirk at my shock, and continuing their exertions._

2 days before the ides of January, 622 AD

_I have been reassigned from general attendant to training the royal midwives, as milady is in a delicate condition. I was obligated to tell the truth, that she would not endanger her child to continue many of her customary exertions, but to lower the frequency of penetration. Yet the women handed over to me for training have not a bit of wit, I believe they are more likely to help her in her hungers, rather than monitor her. As to how I gained this duty, I think it is due to the thriving of the present heir to the throne after a fall from his stallion last month. Also, I supplied my true origins in my introductions, and my tribe and its descendants have always been known for good healing women._


	5. Chapter 5

Everything you don't recognize is mine, the rest is Highlander or historical stuff.

**Chronicles of Rebecca**

Recorded by Watcher Marie Thatcher, input by Watcher Aaron Smith

Cook and Hostler

Midsummer 852

_Bronwen has just alerted me that Lady Rebecca has received a missive that a Mercian princess, along with her entourage, is going to be visiting on her way to her wedding. Apparently, an 'old friend' is the healer that Eowyn is bringing with her to her husband's home._

_The procession has arrived, and the healer, with rich auburn hair in a tight coronet, has settled in for some catch-up time with Lady Rebecca. She looks to be in her mid 20s._

_Lady Rebecca and the newcomer are speaking in a language that none of those Watchers here at the Abbey recognize. We transcribed sounds to the Archives for study._

_From their table at supper, I heard that someone Fyrwen encountered in her travels, one of Rebecca's friends, is in Byzantium running a library for the royal house. The description given sounds much like the last records the Watchers have on who they suspect to be Methos from when he was in Alexandria. The visitor has also agreed to help teach Amanda._

**Chronicles of Amanda**

Recorded by Watcher Yves Jacques

Tinker

12 March, Year of our Lord 1150

_Amanda and her student Kenny are up to their normal tricks again, we're near the Ely Cathedral, and they are picking pockets. They seem to be doing well; they already have 4 purses in the 2 hours since they last dropped their loot. Their targets, as always, are rich people in Norman dress, revenge for Kenny's adoptive parents. Kenny looks pathetic until some nice young lady comes close to check on the little boy sitting forlornly at the entrance to an alley, then Amanda tugs them into the alley. They change alleys every purse._

_Ha! Someone has foiled the seemingly infallible. They caught themselves another Immortal! Not sure how they missed her, she's wicked with that sword, obviously not new, or she had some very unconventional brothers before First Death._

_Anyway, they did their normal trick, but as Amanda was dragging the girl, the girl picked __**her**__ pocket, getting her purse back plus the 4 from before. The girl started juggling them, practically bragging at her skills! It was quite amusing. Of course, Amanda didn't appreciate this much, and started threatening her with a boot dagger, calling her "Wen", and Kenny took out his throwing dagger and a honing stone, trying to be scary and failing miserably. Since they were in an alley out of sight of the general traffic, the girl pulled out a broadsword much like Kenny's, as she is the same height if not shorter, through a slit in her skirt, which was a bit fuller than is fashionable, seemingly to hide the scabbard. Since they were working light, neither had their swords, so someone with such a handy sword and glaring at them, especially one that beat them at their own game was a force to be reckoned with. Faced with this opponent, Amanda immediately tried to make nice. The girl took back her own purse and all but 10 coins from the other 4 purses, the other stolen property she said was going directly to the priests at Ely for the healing center they kept._

_Amanda and Kenny were setting up their pavilion outside of town when the girl from before rides past. Since she left them with 10 coins, they actually __**bought**__ some meat, some turnips, and a few loaves of bread. In gratitude, they invite her to share their meal. Kate contributes some small ale and a flask of cider. Amanda congratulates Kate on her ploy that day and asks her how she guessed what was going on._

"_I used the same ploy for a time, though I worked alone. I didn't eat for a few days, didn't sleep for a day or two, and made sure I was nice and dirty, and very smelly, that's the key; you can't be properly pathetic without smelling like you slept in a dung heap to keep warm with the rot-warmth. It was particularly effective back in Rome, when the baths were part of the day. It worked well until about a hundred years ago at Aque Sulis, before the Normans made it into less of a religious center. It was so nice when the majority of the town was a temple to the Mother Goddess."_

_Kenny scowled, protesting that she couldn't be that old, that her Presence wasn't even as loud as Amanda's. He estimated her age at maybe 50 total. _

_Kate said that she was at the dedication of Hagia Sofia. This strikes me as odd, as we have no records of new 'young' female Immortals since 400 AD. We can't have lost track of that many Immortals, especially one so striking as this._

_Kenny remained stubborn, still not believing her._

_Kate wasn't bothered by this, stating that even if she were the same age as Amanda, actually estimating her age within 5 years, she still was living proof that being underestimated was beneficial, asking Amanda to have a friendly spar with her to illustrate._

_They did have that spar, and Amanda almost lost her head 5 times before Kenny finally started to understand. This Kate fights dirty! She used her feet, her clothing, even her cloud of sun-kissed chestnut curls as distractions and weapons._

_Amanda complains that this is too close a repeat of the last time they met, which it seems wasn't long ago. Check this, please._

_As the three of them travel, Kenny riding the horse when he gets tired, they spend each evening with Kate teaching Kenny, and Amanda to a certain extent, how to fight when you're much smaller than the other person. As Kate said, "It would have to be a bear of a man to be huge to Amanda! She's taller than both of my MALE teachers, and they weren't exactly short." Kate mentioned a name, Silas, as the only man that might fit that description._

**Chronicles of Hugh Fitzcairn**

Recorded by Watcher Bartholomew Hind

Troubadour

10 November, 1250

_Hugh has finally stopped riding like the Cwn Awnn were after him. I suppose he thinks he's far enough from Bath that that Sir Carlton can't get him for poaching on his wife. Its almost dark, but when isn't it, this late in the year? He therefore, like any intelligent being, decided to find lodging. Thankfully, we're on the outskirts of a small town, I'll check the name in the morning._

_Hugh found an inn, though it looks more like a private home that treats travelers like family. The main server is a young widow, looks to be about 20 from body shape and way of walking. I can't really give a good description, as she's wearing a cap that is almost a cowl in its depth, as if she has bad pox scars she is ashamed of. The only reason I'm attempting a description is because of what happened while he ate his supper._

_Such a lovely figure, ripe for the plucking, is irresistible to a man such as Fitzcairn. He made the mistake of pulling his usual tricks he uses on serving wenches, he grabbed her bottom. She obviously did not appreciate this, as she stabbed him in the stomach in a place covered by a surcoat and then grabbed his shoulder, hissing in his ear. The man actually went white! The only time that man ever went white is when jealous husbands have threatened to sever something vital. She must have threatened castration. She then calmly wiped the blade of her dagger on a handkerchief and sheathed it on her chaletine. What a woman!_


	6. Chapter 6

Everything you don't recognize is mine, the rest is Highlander or historical.

**Thomas Wardener's Journal**

12 October 1285

_I've been here at the University for 2 years for my certification of medical study, as I haven't qualified officially as a doctor since a certificate was necessary. From letters sent back with traders coming from India, Rina will join me here, though not in classes, within the month. I hope she brings some spices back, I miss pepper and, since she's passing through the Holy Lands, she might even have Dead Sea Salts and a fermentation cask for the infection-fighting growths._

_Thankfully, the house I rent is large enough to support the story of our parents dying and my younger sister coming to keep my house. I just hope there aren't too many duels for her hand. Last time she came for a short visit, as I mentioned c1175, I was the bursary for a Venetian merchant, and I had to push 15 people in the canals in a one week period, some people multiple times. If she doesn't want to stay in the house all the time, I'll figure some way to smuggle her into lectures._

2 November 1285

_She arrived last night, and she had a parcel the size of her torso full of pepper, saffron, and anise, in addition to a bushel-basket-sized fermentation oven she found in an antiquities market in Jerusalem. The political climate doesn't seem to be quite ready for a return to the old ways of medicine, though it is said that Italy and non-Moorish Spain are brushing off the dust from Roman and Greek treatises on every subject. Therefore, we'll have to be careful in our use of the growths, as we could be burned as witches, and the rapidly re-growing skin would not be good evidence we're normal, its bad enough people are starting to wonder about my lack of scars, especially with all the fencing classes I take._

10 November 1285

_I finally introduced my 'friends' to Rina, and of course, they are all now professing to love her deeply. This is the trouble with friends that studied the Courtly Love essays a bit too closely. It is only the next morning and she has already received six letters and four poems to her 'sunshine-kissed hair' and 'gold-washed skin'. We do have kindling for the week though, so there are some perks._

3 February 1286

_It's the start of a new term, and I've found a way for Rina to sneak into lectures. As long as she wears her skirts a little short so they don't show below the academic robes, lets her hair run down inside the robes in a tail, and she keeps the robes closed to hide curves, she'll blend in enough. She means to, if a professor asks, say that she is the third son of a rich merchant who wants her to try the university for a month, then make a decision whether to become a doctor or join the church._

15 April 1287

_The sourpuss professor for my last class before I finish, and Rina's (Bertrand's) 3__rd__ to last class in medicine, has found out Rina is Rina, and therefore threatens the prestige of the University. I did some quick thinking, as I'm probably going to be pulled into the investigation, as 'Bertrand' is supposedly renting a room in my house. I'll bargain for 1 month to finish out the term, then I'll take the exit exam and we'll no longer be affiliated with the University._

1 June 1287

_I have my certificate, so I can now set up my surgery. I've decided to branch into the barber's realm and pull teeth also, as mouths are the most likely places, other than the feet and hands, which would benefit from the illness-stopping packings. The head of the medical college was not pleased with our masquerade, so we have been forced to move out of our lodgings near the lecture halls, as we have been barred from living in the same quarter as the University. I've vowed to finish her studies with my help, so even if she isn't certified, she can still be acceptable to practice._

4 October 1287

_Rina has completed her studies by helping me in my surgery. I've forged, as part of her next identity, a letter from 'a friend of the family' saying that she is more qualified than many of the young whelps he apprenticed, and better than many of the products of the University of Heidelberg he had encountered. She has agreed to stay for a while longer, as she has agreed, as part of her exit strategy, that she will marry one of the students that is to leave in the spring who is also in the last stages of consumption after only attending for a few months. She's been posing as a day governess to a burgher's daughters, where she met her fiancé on an outing. It also helps that he is an English lordling, so she has an introduction to court to hopefully become the personal physician of the Queen._

2 March 1288

_Rina arranged to get married on the equinox in a church that was built on the remains of a henge. She will be Rinalda Buxolly, Lady Northington. It was quite a job to make her history close enough to suit, but far enough that she isn't connected with the scandalous female student. I got a classmate to run the surgery for the month it will take to meet the lord's family in Brussels and fulfill my brotherly duties at the wedding._

7 March 1288

_Rina just got back from her last visit to Madame Hauserfur, who is helping her with her dress for the ceremony. Drew a likeness beside. Its green wool with copper wire cords around the bodice._

7 April 1288

_I just got back from Rina's wedding festivities, as I rarely take my journal with me on trips. She's on her way back to London, and from what I heard at the wedding feast, she has an introduction to court._


	7. Chapter 7

Everything you recognize is Highlander or historical stuff, the rest is mine.

I'm aware that I made a historical figure a character in this, but he fits. If this offends you, tough! Historical events/people make enough cameos in the series that it makes little difference.

**Chronicles of Catherine Granger**

Recorded by Watcher William Shakespeare

Player, Chamberlain's Men

19 December, 1595

_I've been sitting here in the corner of the tavern as Kate, the proprietress of this lovely establishment, goes about her business of keeping us actors fed. She has been talking of her brother who is coming down from Oxford for the holiday. She hasn't said what he's studying, but he's supposed to meet her here in a few hours._

_She has been telling me stories of the interesting people she has met while I was away on tour in the country. Supposedly, when the real actors are gone, she gets mostly the aspiring actors lounging around waiting for a part. There was a man that came in supposedly, who had to wait for his betrothed's older sister to marry before the banns could be read, but said couple anticipated their vows, and now the older sister is being foisted off on some rich buffoon from Kent that will likely try to beat her independence out of her. That gives me a wonderful idea for a new play…_

_The brother has arrived, and for being unable to have blood siblings, these two look the part. They start chatting in what seems to be Greek, but I'm not sure. As for a description, he's taller than average, changeable eyes, and what a nose!_

20 December 1595

_We just finished a performance, which went later than normally due to some problems with the costume changes, therefore, I'm only now getting to Kate's to take over for Robert. What's this? She's gone, and she's sold it to the cook for a pittance. It's as if she's run away. Does she suspect of our existence, and therefore suspects me for what I am? None of these are easy questions, which I will leave to the persons in the Archives._

**Chronicles of Walter Graham**

Recorded by Watcher William Shakespeare

Playwright

17 March, 1610

_Walter has been harping on me to write more plays, calling at my home every day. He doesn't seem to understand that I'm growing old, I don't have a muse or ideas for stories anymore. That reminds me, I should arrange for a showing of __Shrew__ for the __Men's__ tour this summer. It really was too bad that Kate left. I know we're not supposed to interact with them that closely, but she always had amusing stories that prompted at least a decent draft to show to Richard._

_He's organized a roving band of players that perform shortened, bastardized versions of my plays, and has pulled a young boy into the band, though it seems unlikely that he'll stick around long, he seems to be a runaway pre-Immortal who will soon return to his fosterage. Walter reacted when he entered the room, so that's what I assume is the situation._

_It seems this one Walter's landed with is a very young, in both senses, Immortal who has already found a teacher that he greatly respects. It seems Walter did something stupid again, resulting in a gross insult to the mentor that Robert has come, without leave, to avenge. Apparently, Walter sold some of the fabric he acquires for new costumes to a merc__antile a few towns back, mis-representing basically everything about the cloth, including the amount on the bolt. Walter had taken some of the cloth, but wrapped it such that it looked like a full bolt, meaning the mentor got in big trouble for selling 16 ells of cloths when there were only 10 in the bundle, thus grossly overcharging and decreasing the reliability of the store in the customers' eyes._

_The child is extremely proficient with the tiny broadsword he carries, as he completely humiliated Walter, hitting him with the flat of the blade every third stroke, and Robert emerged from the fight with only a few slices to the clothing and shallowly into the flesh. Robert even spared his head, saying that such a pathetic specimen wasn't worth dirtying his blade, and that he should amend his cheating ways or he'd get the same treatment._

_It's odd that the idea of the duel to amend betrayed honor showed here, with two Immortal opponents. Who is this little one? The only boy that young that has appeared in the Isles is Kenny. I enclose a description of the boy to compare with records of those without their own Chronicles: looks to be approximately 14, quite short, solidly built, brown hair…_


	8. Chapter 8

Everything you recognize is Highlander or historical stuff, the rest is mine.

**Chronicles of Duncan MacLeod**

Recorded by Watcher Rodrigo Vivanio

Painter for House Crusiandio

2 March 1637

_After that rather embarrassing spectacle with the duel for the princess' non-existent honor and the proclamation I wrote of 2 days ago, Duncan and Fitzcairn are getting along better. Fitzcairn has also talked Duncan into learning to read with him. Fitzcairn has even found them a tutor, someone he met a while ago but found out is in town, as they were at one of the parties for the intelligentsia he frequently crashes._

_Fitzcairn told him, "Meet me at 24 River Street today at 5, ask for the P'fessor. You'll like this one, 'e threatened to castrate me."_

_Of course, the oaf does so. I've looked into it, and the house is let to a female heiress, widowed, but everything is paid for by her stepson, who is actually older than she. He must be quite the paragon, or he actually likes his 'mother'. Thankfully, I have a colleague who is a confectioner; he showed up at 4:45 pretending to make a delivery from an admirer, who asked to have the delivery into the lady's hands, so I have an account of the happenings._

_Everything went smoothly until Duncan was escorted into the study. He immediately saw a tiny young woman sitting at the desk, writing furiously. He demanded in accented Italian to know where the professor was, and was answered, simply, in polished English with a slight accent, "the professor is here already, I am Profesora Donna Katerina Succotrina. Did that lecherous son of a rock pile not tell you? He has told me many stories about your ways and exploits, and the threat I made to him stands for you also."_

_When Fitzcairn arrived at quarter past five, Duncan beat him about the head and shoulders for not telling him, La Donna Profesora giggling the whole time. Finally, she calmed down and told them to sit down and be quiet if they still wanted her to teach them._

**Chronicles of Mei-Ling**

Recorded by Watcher Win Hu

Wandering Monk

Late Spring 1750

_A new student has come seeking Mei-Ling, though this one is actually more suited for Mei-Ling's original style, as this one is a girl even shorter than she. It seems the new student comes under the recommendation of a prior student._

_She is a quick student, and I yearn to give a good description of this Immortal, but she seems to have last been in a very warm place, as the temperate climate of these plains forces her to wear a close cap that would barely fit her hair, as from the glimpse of her hair I saw last night by firelight, there was a great deal of it, down past her waist and extremely thick, a braid as fat as a small fishing boat's anchor rope._

Mid-Fall 1750

_Neka, as that's the name she gave, has spent the last few days discussing with the village elders the best way to get to Beijing for a boat home, given the snows have already started. As much as Mei-Ling has taught her, she has taught Mei-Ling, particularly in the ways of verbal persuasion, rather than beating someone down to get one's way, something Mei-Ling has needed to work upon for many years. With the hybrid of East and West in swordwork, Neka beat Mei-Ling, a first in at least 40 years._

**Chronicles of Evangeline Roberts**

Recorded by Watcher Nathan Swanson

Tavern Proprietor

July 10, 1826

_We have only just completed the celebrations of our "Independence Day" here in Philadelphia. Yet the joy of this anniversary has been spoiled in the last days when news of the deaths of two great patriots came to the public's attention. Adams and Jefferson died within hours of each other._

_On other notes, Evangeline, my new charge, the schoolmistress for our quarter, has been receiving visitors. If I was not able to identify one of her visitors as Duncan MacLoed, I'd consider bringing it before the student's parents._

_She and Duncan are an odd pair, as she, for all purposes, is a devout Quaker, and Duncan is quite the libertine. I have yet to see her hair, or even her full face, so despite identification by the Watchers six weeks ago as an Immortal, when she was Challenged, I cannot determine her original identity. She uses an Italian rapier, easily concealed in the full skirts of the day. She is quite short, but apparent or true age is still undetermined. I'm quite tempted to send the wife over to call, to determine her 'character'._

July 11, 1826

_I sent Elizabeth to see Evangeline this afternoon, along with one of my potboy/grooms. She might know about us though, as she was polite, but cold, to both Robert and Lizzy._

_Evangeline still confuses me. I feel the best people to receive this journal, when I have filled it, is the Division for Unknowns, to see if she matches any of the Ancients we've lost track of, or whether she truly is a young one that has been off the listings since first death._


	9. Chapter 9

Anything you recognize is from Highlander or historical stuff, the rest is me.

**Journal of Cecily Newhurst**

10 Nov 1915

_Finally made it to Alexandria again for the first time in almost 1300 years. It's a shame the library's gone. Anyway, I got tired of being a VAD nurse, so I'm off to do translations for a friend of a friend. He doesn't know I'm coming, just that Frank is sending someone qualified. Must hurry, the train leaves in a few minutes. There's this empty-headed fluff of a woman who has obviously come to Egypt to ride out the war, as she's no military wife. It took her 20 minutes to get seemingly __**all**__ her worldly possessions and her three children 20 meters from the gangplank. _

13 Nov 1915

_Now in Luxor, a bit nervous, as not sure Frank, Rebecca's current husband, has enough clout to overcome a woman's application for the job. Especially as Oxford still isn't granting degrees to women, so no credibility there._

_OK. I'm calm. I'm confident. I have all the paperwork, so here goes nothing._

_The idiot thought I had come to bring him tea! Thankfully, the man I initially met was the financial backer. The actual archeologist brings his sister as the artist, so no worries on that account. But Lord Whatever was so __**rude**__._

"Good afternoon, sir."

"Oh, good. I want some tea. You're a half-hour late," he said, not looking up from his papers.

"Um, sir? Your tea is right next to your elbow, and it is getting cold, but I'm not a waitress. Franklin Lymon sent me."

"What! Go away, girl, don't try to be funny."

Just as she was about to lose her composure and slap the idiot, a man in his 30s and a young woman entered. The woman came over and put a hand on her arm, directing her outside.

"Are you alright?"

"No. That man refuses to believe that I'm the new translator."

The man cut in, "Dr. Lymon sent you? May I see your qualifications?" She was about to start spitting again when he continued, "It's not that I do not believe you, I'd just like to see the list and the letter from Dr. Lymon. You are also a bit younger than I expected."

"Oh," she pulled out the packet. "I apologize for my attitude, but between milord and the man I was stuck next to on the train...I'm Cecily Newhurst."

"Hieroglyphs, hieractic, Coptic, Greek, and Latin? And conversational fluency in German, French, Italian, and three dialects of Turkish and Arabic? I'm surprised the War Office didn't want you."

"They sent for my CV, but as soon as I appeared at the office, they sent my paperwork off to be a VAD. They expected Charles Newhurst, a yearmate, but from Trinity, not Somerville, and quite the man about town. A lazy empty-headed fool who was almost sent down for conduct infractions, but highborn enough to be considered an appropriate diplomat."

8 Jan 1916

'_Milord' left this afternoon on the train to Alexandria for his return to London for the social season. Though he did not leave without a last leer and attempted grope. I was most tempted to test one of Mei-Ling's maneuvers on him._

_Timothy and Sharon worked out a good routine to get things documented, and I fit into the pattern well. I spend most of the time they are asleep translating photographic plates and Sharon's wall sketches._

_The actual work so far has yielded little of interest to posterity, as so far, the tomb seems to have been robbed repeatedly._

26 Jan 1916

_Tim and Sharon have gone up to Alexandria to meet a cousin's ship so they can celebrate his birthday as best they can, and set him up in a flat near his new assignment to a General's staff, not clear which._

_Since they'll be gone for another three days, I've been taking the chance to catch up on the artifacts we found last week, which includes an almost complete Book of the Dead._

28 Jan 1916

_Still working on the Book of the Dead. Have gotten to the illustration of the Weighing of the Soul. In this era, the main advisors were depicted as bystanders at this trial. I almost ripped the papyrus while spreading that section for photographs. Standing at the right shoulder of the prince whose tomb we're excavating is a figure that looks remarkably like M. After some slight hysterics, I carried on with my work, but have resolved to hide my daguerreotype of M before Tim and Sharon return._

_I would leave immediately, if it wasn't extremely suspicious, not to mention rude. I'll tough it out for another month, then get a new identity, maybe in Brazil. At this point, I'm all for humidity._

**Chronicles of Elena Stephano**

Recorded by Greg Cutter

French teacher at PS 451

**Sept 7, 1938**

_We're a week into classes, and I've settled into my position. After that debacle in Central Park a couple weeks ago, it's been a chore to find the victor of the Challenge. It was only the lucky fact that there was a drunk that saw what he thought was a girl getting stuck in a heat-lightening storm. Thankfully, NYPD thought he was crazy, so she won't be arrested for murder._

_Elena is a science teacher, and is well liked by her students. She has nowhere close to the trouble getting her students' respect as I have. She's supposedly Nicaraguan, though her face structure's a bit off for that area. With her features, she's more acceptable to the colored students than my Anglo roots allow. She seems to lead a quiet life, really just teaching, tutoring after school, and going home._

_I've come to the conclusion that the Challenge was an isolated incident, that the opponent was threatening her in some way. Given the location, I'd suspect she did a public service, that he was a pervert of some kind._

**Nov 19, 1938**

_Elena's gotten in a bit of trouble with one of the administrators for encouraging some of the girls to apply for a new scholarship to get girls to go to college in the sciences, and not just nursing. The charter says it's run by a cousin, a Gracella Stephano (Grace?)._

_As for her background, her cover story is that her sharper features are from a native grandmother. She dyes her hair, and I believe the natural color is quite a bit lighter, a medium brown._

_She, in an odd circumstance, was invited to the Apollo for a dance by some of her older students, as some of her after-school tutoring is a group of men and women who didn't finish school for whatever reason, and are coming to her for tutoring for the equivalency exams. Anyway, I followed her to the entrance, where I saw her meet Carl Robinson. He'll take care of her, if one of her boys can't._

**November 27, 1938**

_Elena's considered a missing person by the authorities. She didn't return to school after the Thanksgiving break, and when someone went to check her apartment, most of her things are gone. I should never have gone home for the weekend! Ray was stationed across the street, but as far as he can tell, she went to the corner store and didn't come back. It will be a mystery for the ages._


	10. Chapter 10

I pulled in things from MASH for this one, obviously. Everything else recognizable is Highlander/historical stuff.

Corporal Dennis Richardson was waiting at the landing strip laughingly called Kimpo airport. He was a Brooklyn boy, so this 2-strip, 1-hanger field wasn't an airport in his books. He awaited the arrival of a Lt Adams, a new nurse or chief mechanic for the 8062nd, the paperwork was lost for a while, and recovered from a puddle behind the showers, so they only had pay-grade and "Lt C Adams". Whoever they were, they were now two hours late. Unfortunately, the plane from Hawaii was full of Lieutenants.

He had just gotten out of the jeep to ask the Colonel that ran the place if Lt Adams had missed his flight, when a short, svelte woman in partial uniform walked over to him with two bags, a box, and a folder, her curls barely confined in a French braid, if he remembered his four sisters' ravings correctly.

"Corporal Richardson?" At his nod, she continued, "I'm Charlie Adams."

He saluted, swung her stuff into the back of the jeep, and climbed in, all on autopilot. He may be only 19, but it still surprised him that a girl, and therefore not subject to the draft, would come to Korea, not to mention one who seemed to be younger than he.

They had just pulled into the area in front of the administration building when the other clerk came over the PA to announce incoming helicopters.

"Corporal, would you mind keeping my gear under your desk or something until I'm done in surgery?"

As soon as he'd agreed with a smile, she ran off toward triage. Dennis just shook his head and hurried to alert Colonel Granger before he headed to surgery that the new nurse had arrived with a copy of her full jacket.

Major Andrew Rost was struggling, along with 2 orderlies, to get Captain Amad Kahildad of the Turkish infantry to calm down enough to get an IV of whole blood started. He was screaming in his native tongue, seemingly in too much pain to recognize English. Major Rost was about to pull out his emergency morphine syringe when a girl ran up, a long braid trailing behind her. Within 3 minutes, the Captain was on his way into pre-op with IV intact. Rost stayed behind for a moment to talk to the girl, as she had no indication of rank, and wasn't wearing fatigues.

"Miss, you can't be here. The Red Cross hasn't been approved this close to the front."

"Oh, sorry, sir," she said, saluting. "My jacket and hat must still be in admin with the rest of my gear. Lt. Charlotte Adams, Charlie. I just got in with Corporal Richardson when the helicopter alert came."

"OK. Well, let's get going, Lt Adams."

"Lead the way, sir. But do you have scrubs small enough?"

He had to laugh, as she couldn't be more than 4'11" and 105 lbs soaking wet. "I'll talk to the Colonel to requisition some scrubs. Until then, I'll vouch for you only using shoe covers, a smock, mask and cap."

'Charlie' had been at the 8062nd for a month when Captain Murdoch, a misogynistic snot from Minneapolis cashed in all his accumulated leave, allowing him to spend a month in Seoul and Tokyo. His temporary replacement was a puppy from Kansas, probably an excellent GP, competent enough with tonsils, moles, and less than 12 stitches, but horrible with anything else, especially when rushed.

Thankfully for the Colonel's mental well-being, Rost had assigned Charlie to assist the new guy for the duration. When Captain Turner spazzed out, she did the rest of the surgeries, though no one noticed for three days.

When the patient load was down for 4 days in a row, Colonel Granger sent Turner back citing the reduced need. The next day, they had 400 patients in 22 hours. That many patients usually took upwards of 30 hours, but Lt Adams filled in admirably.

"Adams, how did you learn that vessel resection? The guys in Tokyo were going to send someone to demonstrate next week."

"My uncle's a surgeon. He's at a rural hospital, so whenever he had surgeries on one of the 3 or 4 afternoons a week I went to work with him, he'd let me scrub in and sit on a banker's stool at the foot of the gurney. The last year or two he let me assist, since I'd been watching for 8 years prior to that. Uncle Ben was going to put in a good word at U Mass in a couple years when I finished college, but a friend of the family suggested the experience I'd gain here would help my chances of an acceptance, not to mention proving my mettle. Why do you ask, sir?"

"I've discussed this with the other cutters. When the hotshot comes up for the demonstration, we may be able to allow your record here to stand in for the Medical Officer Certification Tests."

"Why would you do this, Colonel? Not that I don't appreciate the effort, sir."

"I got the unit's record including the last three weeks that Murdoch's been gone. Despite Turner, and being short during that marathon, we've have our best month by a significant margin in terms of survival rate and efficiency."

"Well, Ms Adams, this is a rare occasion. I believe you are only the 3rd woman to get a 'battlefield' promotion. I was impressed by your performance record and my own observations of your work the past few days. I've conferred with your superiors here and my superiors in Tokyo, and we are proud to grant you the rank of Captain. When you return home, you'll need to take boards and complete an abbreviated residency, but if you do not mind working at one of the service hospitals for a while, you could be a licensed surgeon within 2 years of returning."

"Thank you, sir! I'll confer with my family. Oh, Colonel Granger, what's my billet going to be now? I don't mind staying with the nurses, and I doubt I'm getting my own tent."

Turning to Dennis, Colonel Granger told him to get Major Regina Fisher, the head nurse. The two women had commiserated over having names that lend themselves to male nicknames, as her two brothers had always called her Reggie. When Reggie arrived, she immediately noticed the new insignia.

"I see it went well, Charlie." Turning to the Colonel, she asked, "Is this why I saw Tony dragging a cot to my tent as I came over from post-op?"

At his nod, she smiled, "I can't _**wait**_ until Murdoch gets back tomorrow. How's this going to affect Rost?"

"Cutter meetings will be tacked onto admin meetings or take place at meals. As for Murdoch, let's just see, and let Andy deal with it until it gets out of hand."

"Sir, I must protest! How will a woman operating affect the morale of the nurses and orderlies?"

"It shouldn't affect them at all; she has been filling in for you almost your whole leave time. Besides, it's not up to you. It's up to me and to Major Rost."

"Then I'll just have to get Tokyo in on this."

"It was the guys in Tokyo that approved her. I doubt you'll make them change their minds, or get much sympathy."

As he realized he was getting nowhere with his protests, Murdoch stormed out. Soon afterwards, Rost came in perturbed.

"I assume you told Murdoch to take a hike, and that whining to the brass will accomplish nothing? He's taking his own advice. He's writing a letter to the General. I'd expect an angry phone call or visit in the next day or two."

Sighing, Granger said, "You're probably right. Let's take advantage of his preoccupation and lull in casualties to have an administrative meeting. If Murdoch wants to continue his rant, he'll just have to miss the meeting. Get Dennis and Tony to get Reggie and Charlie, and mention the meeting in Murdoch's hearing. See you back here in 15 minutes."

January 19, 1952

_Dear Sir:_

_I wish to bring to your attention an action that may merit a formal commendation._

_As you no doubt know, we had our supply lines down for two weeks during a period of high casualties._

_Captain Charlotte Adams, MO, noticed how low our penicillin stores were. She asked everyone to give her their orange peels and bread crumbs, which she kept in an autoclave basin with some distilled water._

_Two days later, when we were on our last vial of penicillin, she came in for her post-op shift with a jam jar full of grey-green paste, which she proceeded to smear on incisions and wounds. She had __**grown**__ penicillin mold on the orange peels._

_When asked, she only said that her uncle, a doctor, took her camping with her friends frequently. He always carried a small tin with distilled water to put bread crumbs and orange peels in. If someone got a cut, he'd strap a chunk of orange peel to the wound with the moldy side in, and they'd keep going._

_I ask you to put some kind of comment in her record, and spread the word, as I fear other MASHs will need the same resource._

_Sincerely,_

_Col. Herman Granger, MD_

_Commanding Officer, MASH 8062__nd_

**Chronicles of Sean Burns**

Recorded by Kelson Mandolin

Chaplin to Seoul US Military Mental Hospital  
>April 24, 1952<p>

_He did today what he's done everyday for the past year, since he volunteered to minister to the mental health of the soldiers in the Korean peacekeeping action. He met with 7 soldiers and a Red Cross woman afflicted with battle fatigue and survivor's guilt._

April 25, 1952

_A strange thing happened today. A girl doctor ('Charlie' Adams) came from a MASH unit with some injured and a shell-shock/amnesia case. The boy still thinks he's back in Nebraska. He came into the MASH unit with a through-and-through to the gut because he stood up during a volley. The poor lad, whose whole squad has died, thought he was at a high school ball game._

_But that's not what I need to report on. The doctors spoke in an archaic version of Irish Gaelic, as what little I could decipher I haven't heard outside of folk songs. I found out from asking around that this is the girl who grew her own penicillin during that supply-line cut._

_Please forward her description to the 'Lost Chronicle' division, as she is not an Immortal I recognize from the recent records._

_Height: 4'11"-5'1"_

_Weight: 90-110 lbs_

_Hair: brown, curly_

_Eyes: greenish_

_Apparent age: 20 or a little less_


	11. Chapter 11

Do I really need a disclaimer? Everything that isn't obviously historical stuff or involving Highlander characters, is mine.

August 25, 1969

_It's the 'summer of love', and I've decided its time to go back to school. I have a new identity set up, Wilhelmina Stewart, Billy. Born at home, only child, mother died when I was young, dad died a year ago, first in my family to go to college, from a small farm outside Greensboro. On scholarship for part of my tuition, a trust from a maiden aunt (one of my prior identities) for the rest._

_I should have waited for another year to attend school, as they aren't letting women get real premed degrees from UNC yet. I'll get a really detailed nursing degree and happen to complete all the requirements for med school. I never did actually take that Colonel up on that offer for accelerated residency. Its time to actually get that MD. Just to annoy the establishment, I'll play along on the girly major until I actually apply to Duke Med School._

_As for the hurry in starting, there was that guy in Atlanta that was really getting on my nerves, used to be a Civil War general, still acts like it. He really thought I was helpless...idiot. I was ready to take his head, but I really hate to actually Challenge people, I'd rather they come to me._

October 12, 1969

_It's just after my first midterms, and the professors somehow haven't noticed yet that there's a female in the guys-only world. Its not like my lab TA will tell, he thinks its funny, but the next time he hits on me, I'll kick him somewhere he'll need surgery to fix._

December 4, 1970

_One of the registrar secretaries sent a note to come meet with her about my course progression._

_It turns out she's figured me out, and asked why I hadn't filled out a major change form now that the chemistry department is open to women majors now. Thankfully, she's only a year or so older than my apparent age, so she understands the frustration. I told her that only 2 of my professors had noticed there even was a woman in their class, so it wouldn't really matter, but a quiet change over the break, that doesn't show up as an alert on the registrar's desk would be fine. I love communing with the gofers, it gets so much done without fuss._

May 14, 1971

_Completed another semester and I'm starting roving clinic work next week. An acquaintance submitted my name for a program meant to allow for children's check-ups and prenatal care in rural areas. We have all the fixtures needed for a small clinical lab packed in the back of an old ice-cream truck, and a van with 3 collapsible gurneys, 2 tables, and 5 chairs. There are 2 doctors, a nurse, an EMT-trained aide, and me. We also have vials of polio vaccine and lots of antibiotics. I just hope it does some good._

November 17, 1971

_At the end of next semester, I will have completed the requirements to graduate with a BS in chemistry, and completed the pre-med curriculum. I just finished typing a draft of my honors thesis on the use of botanicals in pharmaceuticals for my advisor to read over the long weekend. I did most of the work outside the lab, the other majors are still unaware. I checked with Francie in the registrar's office the other day, and the boss still doesn't know there is a female pre-med on the verge of graduating._

Jan 1, 1972

_Ran into Atlanta-creep again, he's set up himself as a lawyer to the rich and smarmy in Charleston, where I'm spending my break. Thankfully, or maybe not, at the same party I happened to run into Fitz, we chatted for a while, complete with stabbing him in the groin with a one of those little two-tined cocktail forks for groping me._

Jan 4, 1972

_There was quite a blow-up when I got back to campus. The house mother had 3 messages for me from the registrar's office to come see him immediately. When I presented myself at the office, he blustered for about 10 minutes, until I asked what he objected to, my quick progression, or my major. Needless to say, he quickly ushered me out with a brusque congratulations._

July 17, 1972

_Just started med school, and just my luck, one of the professors is Andy Rost. He's out after 25 years of service as of a few months ago. Thankfully I've changed my haircut and color since then, but I'll make a note not to wear any green or white for a while. No need to make it easier to pinpoint me._

Feb 4, 1973

_Ran into Grace today. She'd pulled her dagger before she realized it was me, scared me to death, as the seam stiletto isn't exactly a quick draw. Since I'm still in the blazer-length coat, which even on me doesn't go past mid-thigh, I can't exactly wear a spine sheath for a short sword. I dug out one of my hairpin knives from 60 years ago (big hats need big pins) and split the outer seam on a few pairs of slacks to accommodate the sheath._

AN: In case someone wants to quibble about the historical accuracy of this bit, my mom was UNC entering class of 1970, the first class where women could enter as freshman chemistry majors.


	12. interlude

This was originally part of one of those song memes (set your iTunes, whatever, to shuffle and write). Thought it would make a nice interlude. Its meant to be for "Where have all the flowers gone?" by Earth, Wind, and Fire.

Wil had signed in to the interrogation center, when she heard a song over the security desk guy's radio, one she hadn't heard in a while. That reminded her of the first time she'd heard it.

_She was at UNC, on the way back from her first class, and passing through the Pit. There seemed to be a small sit-in in protest of the war, and the participants were singing along to a record. She sympathized with how they felt, she'd seen the ugliness of war firsthand multiple times, and thought about joining in, but with the quality of her background story, she couldn't risk an arrest record background check._


	13. Chapter 12

Consider the disclaimer included.

This is the last 'entry' before the series starts. Since her story has been so intertwined with that of Methos, she's not involved until he is.

July 17, 1986

_Got a bit carried away in this incarnation. I actually got through residency, so now I need a reason to not go back to school, yet would keep me out of public for a while. Heading to the island is getting boring, so I guess it's time to take Sean up on that collaboration suggestion. He's been wanting to take a few years off from practicing to research and write a monograph about the memory encoding of Immortals._

_I wondered about this starting not long after people stopped pulling brains out through the nostrils because they saw it as useless to preserve. We live for centuries, yet we don't forget much in the way of details, even for those who don't keep journals._

November 12, 1986

_Had a bit of a breakthrough. It turns out that we, as Immortals, have immensely active brains, and for the most part we don't lose connections between parts of the brain over time, like normal humans do. This may be a side-effect of the constant renewal we undergo, nothing formed can fade away if it's supposed to be there. _

_This may also tie into why we can't reproduce. At least for women, a fetus is like a parasite; we don't allow parasites in our systems, ergo, no pregnancy. Though that would mean we could still have periods…My old idea is probably more likely, given we can't reproduce even before First Death. For whatever reason we are around, it would be futile to reproduce, as we could conceivably live forever. If something is long-lived, the fertility tends to be low, therefore, possible eternal life=infinitely small chance of fertility. Therefore, eternity of no periods, guys shooting blanks._

March 22, 1987

_Monograph done. Three copies each going in Sean's and my safety deposit boxes, along with diskettes of the text. Final conclusion: We are immensely visual beings, and said memories are tightly encoded, especially with seeing a person or situation that one has encountered before._


	14. Chapter 13

"Hello? Is anyone around? Mr Salzer?"

"Oh, hello, Eve, what are you doing here?"

"Hi, Mr Salzer. Adam said I should wait for him here until he finishes his lecture. Do you mind if I sit in the back or something?"

"That would be fine, but don't touch the papers on the desk."

/OK, so what's my brother doing lately? I'm not touching the papers, just looking...Hahahaha, he's working on the Methos Chronicles. This is great! ...Oh, shit! That's not brother-mine, and Mac's in town, but it's not him. I'll just stay back here until I have some clue who it is...That voice, I recognize it from somewhere...the only Immortal to survive a near-beheading, Kalas, and he's asking about Methos! Gotta warn Bro, then get out of town, I should have known it was a bad idea to actually be siblings in the eyes of the current paperwork./

/OK, Kalas has been in jail for a few months now and no escape, Paris is safe again for a while...Well, I'll bother Mac./

Duncan was doing a kata, no sword, thankfully, while Joe chilled, watching, when Eve Pierson walked up the gangplank.

"Ka-" Duncan started to call out, very surprised, as he hadn't felt her approach, when she did a zip-it movement.

"Hello, Duncan," She greeting him, with a light Welsh accent. "May I ask who this dashing gentleman is?" She asked, turning toward Joe. "Hi, I'm Eve."

"This is Joe Dawson...Eve, may I speak to you for a second?"

"Sure...what? I know he's..." She says, drawing a little circle on the wrist away from Joe's view. "That's one reason I didn't want one of my former names circulating for a while."

"OK. But why didn't I know you were in town?"

"Well, I'm back in town, actually; I left before without seeing anyone, as things were a bit hectic the last time I was around." Shivering, she turned toward the quay, pulling up her hood, disguising her sensing Presence as moving to keep from being cold. She then headed inside without Duncan noticing.

"Adam!" Duncan called toward where the man was getting out of his car.

"Hey, Mac, Joe. Who was the munchkin?"

"Oh, this is Eve. I don't know if you know her... Oh, I guess she got cold. She must have gone inside."

"Well, I'm all for being warm. Let's go in." Methos smirked behind their backs, as he recognized the hum.

Eve stood with her hands stretched out to the fireplace, hood still up. In an ankle-length marshmallow coat she looked like a child, not the 18-going-on-2350-year-old she was, she even had her hair tamed into pigtail braids. Letting Joe get fidgety and letting Methos get more and more amused, she finally got sufficiently warm. And given Methos was amused, she figured she could trust this voyeur to a point.

Putting down her hood and removing her coat and scabbard, she smiled, "Hey, bro."

"Hey, mei-mei. Joe, this is my honorary little sister, Eve Pierson."

"You two know each other?" Duncan asked, incredulous.

"Yep, I was with him when he was in Heidelberg. We check in every once in a while." She then proceeded to flop in Adam's lap. "We thought it would be funny to actually be siblings this time around, as we haven't since the last Watcher I kept for more than a year, Will. Anyway, Don thought it was really funny that someone would name their kids Adam and Eve without being Mennonites or something."

Leaning into the lovely hair-petting, she whispered, "Do they know about Methos?"

"Yes, but not the nutters."

"OK." Just as she was getting comfy, she felt another Presence. "Damn, its Mandy, do I have to see her? Last time I saw her, I thrashed her, now she's going to be grumpy," she sulked, burrowing into Adam's chest.

"MacLeod, we have an emergency. Who's the midget?"

In a fit of pique, Eve threw a knife at Amanda, getting her in the stomach. "Stop calling me a midget! I beat you then and I'll beat you again if I have to!"

"Damn you, sprite. I hope Mac makes you clean up the blood. Serves you right," She gurgled.

Once Amanda had reawakened, she told Duncan what she had come to relate, that she had messed up and let Kalas out of jail. After a time of lots of yelling, everyone calmed down and they started planning.

"Kat, could you bring my car out to the Salzer's in a half-hour or so? Joe's clunker made funny noises the whole way out."

"OK, brother mine. But why are you going to see Catherine?"

"She found some of Don's work stuff when she was cleaning out his office. The clean-up crew missed some stuff, including a database of immortals. Thankfully, neither of us are in it, we never kept watchers long enough to have sketches to compare over the years, and those that did, were really bad artists."

"Fine, see you then."

"That was not one of your brightest plans, Adam."

"No, I guess it wasn't, I just went with it."

"So, what's with your 'sister'? It's odd, she knew about Heidelberg, she seems to have met Amanda when Amanda was still quite young, etc, yet Duncan almost didn't sense her coming onto the barge the other day. What's up?"

"Well, let's just wait until we're in my car, then maybe she'll give permission to tell you. I won't let out a secret my sister wants to keep..." Opening the door, Methos asked her in her native language, "Ketwa, is it OK to tell him your real age? He hasn't said anything to his colleagues about me..."

In the same language, she replied, "Fine, I don't like it, but you were always the paranoid one. I trust your judgment."

"OK, Joe, get in the back, I'm driving. Ketwa, you can explain about the muting."

"Let's see, I was a healer killed on the scythe of Alexander's army as they swept through the area south of the Hyrcania, the Caspian Sea to you. Kratnos was my teacher, the mythical 4th general who didn't survive to divide the empire. He was taken 14 moons into my training. I wandered around the Mediterranean, finally ending up in Alexandria and caught stealing scrolls from the library by a scholar relearning how to be a doctor, named Thanos," nodding at Methos. "We lived together as sibling healers, and he taught me not just about medicine from many places, but how to be sneaky about one's Quickening. He had discovered a way to gather the energy in so it wasn't a cloud, but a cloak, where people have to be almost touching us to feel quickening, like static as body heat. I've been able to pass off as pre-immortal until the last 200 years or so. I still sound like a novice, less than 10 heads, to someone that hasn't spent millennia observing the phenomenon, yet what did we decide my head count was, 150-something? Anyway, it's really only the resonance and pitch of the quickening that still tells our ages, the deeper the note, the older. Therefore, it's kind of a drone, explained these days as the 60Hz hum of lights. Cool, huh?"

Interesting. And I promise I won't tell, or write, any of it.

"What happened? I heard Joe shot Duncan..."

"Duncan was being his usual boy-scout self, saving Catherine. He even agreed to Kalas' Challenge to determine our secrecy."

"Idiot...but our idiot."

"Yeah, I guess we'd best keep Amanda company."


	15. Chapter 14

::I've heard rumblings that Kronos has escaped from his cistern, I'd best check on big brother so he can leave quickly.::

Eve shimmied up the drainpipe to Methos' living room, but when she got there, she saw it was almost deserted, sheets over the couch and all. She assumed that he had heard then, but then she saw an altercation in the drive, Mac and Bro were having an argument. She hurried down the emergency stairs, hoping to be able to intervene before they brought out the swords or hurtful words, but it seemed she was too late; by the time she came around the building, Methos' truck was gone and Mac looked furious.

Mac couldn't have been too far into his funk, as he did feel her touch on his shoulder.

"What do you want, Eve?" he growled.

"I was in the neighborhood. Is there some other reason I should be worried?"

"Let's just say that Adam's been keeping some secrets."

"I don't know what could be that bad, but maybe we should go back to the loft for a chat. It seems stupid to discuss anything out here in the open."

When they got back to the loft, Duncan immediately went to pour himself a tumbler of scotch, Eve grabbed some ginger ale from the fridge, then plopped on the couch in a fair approximation of the 'Methos sprawl'. Duncan, noticing this, tensed, sitting stiffly on the edge of the armchair.

Eve, knowing this conversation would never start if she didn't say something, asked, "So, Mac, what made you so angry?"

"An old friend's back in town who seems to take exception at Adam's Presence persisting; she's searching for a man named Kronos."

Eve flinched. Mac noticed this and stared at her until she relented.

"Has Joe swept the loft lately for bugs he didn't install?"

"Yeah, just two days ago, why?"

"We've been too good for too long for true ages to come into things with the Watchers. You've been around enough to get a sense of age and headcount from Presence. How old would you say I am?"

"Physically, maybe 17? Presence? It's confusing, it's almost nonexistent, but I know you're at least 1000, for Amanda and Fitz's stories to check out."

"Well, let's just say I'm only a few centuries younger than Rebecca. I was killed in a raid by Alexander's army."

"What? But what does this have to do with anything?"

"I met Cassandra, I assume she's the 'friend' you spoke of... when I'd only been Immortal 50 years. I'd spent 20 of those years as a gynecologist and pediatrician in Alexandria, running a clinic with my brother. He had only been free of the last of his gang for a few years. Ring any bells?"

"OK, let me get this straight. You're over 2000 years old, you met Methos within 10 years of shutting Kronos in a well, and you met Cassandra not long afterwards."

"Yep. Both stories are actually pretty funny. Note to the wise, Cassy hates me almost as much as she does Methos, so don't let her know I'm in town. She promised to Challenge me the next time she saw me; she didn't appreciate my opinion that Methos had changed since she left him."

"I don't believe you unquestionably, but you do know him better. Do you think he'll go back to his old habits to save his head?"

"He's Methos, the original chat noir, what do you think? He'll likely leave you a trail to follow to screw any plans he puts forth. Kronos will just see it as really bad luck, rather than undermining one's own strategy. Methos was the planner, so he'll come up with a cunning plan, then give you hints on ways to foil them. Kronos will think they're perfect in every way, but they'll fall apart as soon as they seem to be going well. Take Cassandra with you, just don't let her take heads, she's nutty enough already…Oh, shit! She's coming up the block. I'll just pop out the roof exit. See ya when you get back!"

She hopped off the couch, and a few minutes later he saw her scrambling down the adjacent building just as the lift started to move.

Eve, after she got away, decided to make nice with Joe so he'd keep her updated on the Methos-hunt. Joe agreed to call her once things calmed down a bit, if for no other reason than to keep Cassandra under control and get Adam home if stuff went south. Mac had left a message for Eve to stay at the loft while he and Cassy were gone.

Less than 3 hours after she had moved in, she had conked out on the couch while listening to one of Mac's opera CDs. She had been too restless to stay in bed, so the covers were rumpled, but she curled up on the couch.

Richie was exhausted. He'd heard stuff about issues between Mac and the Old Man from Amanda, so he decided to check in. He showed up at the loft, but felt no Presence coming up in the lift, but he heard music.

"Oh, shit! Someone got Duncan!"

He stumbled out of the lift toward the couch to get a hold of himself before making arrangements. Given he's heard of no evidence of a Quickening, he was about to call Joe about Horton-lackeys.

Unfortunately, when he collapsed on the couch, he sat on Eve's legs, waking her from her doze, as she hadn't heard a sword scraping out of the scabbard. In her surprise, she let go of the 'cloak', blasting him with a subwoofer at 5 paces.

Richie leapt to his feet, pulling a small handgun. "Who the hell are you? Why are you here? Where's Mac?"

"Calm down, Padawan. I'm a friend of Duncan's. At the moment, I'm Eve Pierson. The boy scout's gone on a little trip through Europe with a prophet, don't ask, but he let me crash here while he's gone."

Still not happy with the situation, Richie didn't lower the gun, though he did sit down once she had pulled her legs up. "How'd you do that with your Presence? Why don't you teach the Old Guy to do it?"

"He does. He taught me, it's a family secret. Did you really think that more than 5000 years and over six hundred heads would be that innocuous? He's had to do it to save people's ears since before I met him. But enough about me. Why did you wake me up?"

"I heard music, but no Presence. I was worried that Horton's goons had taken his head."

"Oh, that nut of a Watcher, Joe's cousin that killed Darius? Nah, he's really dead this time. Funny thing is, he actually became Immortal, but one of my unrecorded buddies took him within a year. Now let me go to sleep, you can have the bed, I actually fit on the couch."

A few days later, Eve completely sick of Richie's shenanigans, including bringing a 'friend' home from a club the night before, she headed out to get groceries and maybe stop in to see Joe, just to get away from the awkwardness. Thankfully, on the way to the bakery, her mobile rang.

"Richie, leave me alone, you can apologize when I get home."

"Eve, its Joe. I just got a call from Methos and Mac. They're on the train back from Bordeaux that gets into Paris at 7. They'll be home tomorrow. Now what's this about Richie?"

Grimacing, she explained everything, from the waking up to blast his ears, to the embarrassment of the previous night.

"I went to see a movie at the Silver Screen, and when I got back to the loft, Richie had a 'friend' over. Thankfully not in the throes, but she woke up as I was closing the lift behind me. Therefore it was left up to me to concoct a logical story for why I was there, when he'd said he lived alone. This was made much more difficult because Richie and I look close to the same age. I finally just said that his guardian, at least until last year, was away on an unexpected business trip when Richie was already on the way in. I was a friend of the family who needed to get away from the parties at the college to study. She bought it, so things are fairly OK now.

Did they get all three? Who got whom? Never mind, I'll stick around to comfort dear brother when he gets back, but I'm coming by now to tell you embarrassing stories about Bro so I don't have to go back to the loft."


	16. Chapter 15

Transcript from bug in AP's flat [best translation from something related to Coptic] combined with telephoto observation from 28 February 1997

[AP walks in (staggering) toward couch. Unknown Female walks out of the bathroom fully dressed, but towel-drying her hair.]

UF: My kin, what troubles you? Did battle go poor?

[UF joins him on the couch]

AP: No, solely sadly. My master of horse fell to my blade. My comrade slew my brother and the lunatic.

UF: And what of the seer?

AP: Safe, but yet vengeful. My comrade is angry for my duplicity.

UF: I spoke of your deeds to him before he departed. He was blind.

AP: Such was foreseen. Do not fret.

UF: I'll attempt to open his eyes, now that the witch has left him.

AP: The best of tidings, yet I fear failure.

[UF leaves after grabbing a duffel bag and throwing the towel across the coat rack]

Commentary on transcript of 28 February 1997, A. Pierson's flat

Fredrick Hurstmier

7 March 1997

_Either Pierson is more of a linguist than we thought, and taught a friend, or Pierson is not as young as we think. We can connect him to a Doctor Adams in England and the American South throughout the 19__th__ century, yet conversation in something approaching Ancient Egyptian is just weird from an Immortal of ~250 years, no matter how scholarly._

_More research remains, particularly due to the epithets used, seemingly relating the Challenges as against former allies, but I will leave it up to the Department for Unknowns to tease it out._

Addenda to report on A. Pierson Amy Zoll, Methos Chronicles

12 March 1997

_Cross-referenced epithets used with transcripts in the 'unknown Immortal' files from men of his approximate physical age and description. Found an observation regarding a horse merchant named Silas calling out the name Methos in an Alexandria marketplace._

14 March 1997

_Continued investigation of Silas mentioned. A girl named Katherine, noted as knowing Amanda previously, found her again while teaching Kenny. She mentioned Silas in passing. Can't seem to find other mentions of this girl again._

19 March 1997

_Secondary Watcher for Cassandra (historian, rather than field Watcher) found mention of a girl named Bastis in Delphi with Cassandra that mentioned a lunatic, a horsemaster, and a scribe. May be the same girl. If so, there is no mention of her after meeting Amanda this (supposed) 2__nd__ time._

**Chronicles of Duncan MacLoed**

Recorded by Joe Dawson

March 3, 1997

_Duncan received a visitor, Eve. She's visited Duncan before, but not since the incident with Kalas. She seems to be worried Duncan is angry with someone, possibly Adam. There is no indication of her prior identities, but they have known each other for some time._

_It was about Adam, who she has seemingly __**also**__ known for a while, given her alias. She is defending Adam's choices, though it's not clear on what, as she never refers to anything directly. She uses a code that seems to only make sense to them. She stormed out, and screamed that she's going to Bora-Bora for a few months, to contact her when he "gets his head out of his rectum"._

Comment on J. Dawson's report of an unidentified female

A. Zoll

1 April 1997

_It took almost a month before this entry made its way into my office._

_The girl must be connected in some way to Pierson, as she's going by Eve Pierson, but how? My best guess is that she was a student of this girl Bastis, someone that has been going by Katherine for at least 850 years, as she was quite proficient when she met up with Amanda c1150. There is too much of a gap between Bastis and Katherine for them to be the same person, as there have been proofs that Bastis was killed upon trying to leave the Byzantine court c630AD._

_From the photo taken at Pierson's and MacLoed's, she appears to be a girl of 16-20 physical years old. There is no record of __**anyone**__ in that age group surviving in the modern era._

_My assistant is charged with compiling a dossier on Katherine for the database. I also suggest asking Dawson how he didn't know that AP was Immortal._


	17. Chapter 16

June 15, 1998

Duncan's back, finally. Things were downright quiet without him, as evidenced that I haven't written for a few weeks. I'm still not sure where his idea about the nature of good and evil came from, maybe it's just something about the Christian era. Though Amanda seems more flexible, maybe it's something about actually holding on to those beliefs, because the Macs and Matt seem very stuck on the duality of being. It probably has more to do with age, too, as even the older Western ones that were monks or priests, like Darius or Brother Paul, were aware of the grey of the world.

Still not sure why Mac thought that Eastern philosophy would help him accept his task. I can see using time at the retreat to gain peace at killing a student, but the other six months…no clue.

June 20, 1998

I guess he just needed to learn that good and evil are part of us. Didn't he kinda get that after the 'Dark' Quickening? Or after the Quentin/Michael debacle? Well, with age comes wisdom. That's probably why the Champion has been young each time. M's been keeping track, and the Champion is usually pretty naïve, if they aren't younger than 500. Come to think of it, who was the Champion when I was 'young'? That's the only one that M hasn't found reference to. Most of us that were young at that point spent our first few lives in war-torn areas or abused for being suspected of witchcraft.

What's kind of sad is that Joe got the point faster than Duncan. Something like 7 times the age, countless more warzones, and yet more naïve? Dumb Champion.

August 16, 2000

Adam told me his suspicions about the Game years ago. He even showed me the document. I agree with his translation, and therefore I am one of the few Immortals to never Challenge, only answering. I suppose I'd best explain why this is coming up again, now of all times.

There's this nutty guy from Connor's past that has taken the winnowing nature of the Game as gospel, I have to laugh at my choice of words, as he was a priest before First Death. Anyway, he somehow, though less than 500 years old, has racked up a Quickening number to almost match M. Rumor says he'd gathered an entourage, which he gradually killed off. His entourage, combined, had a kill count over 1500, which for 8 Immortals under the age of 300 is quite a lot.

Anyway, this all came to a head last night, and according to Joe, Conner and Duncan combined forces, literally. Duncan killed Kell, and supposedly brought about the end of the Game. It isn't the end of Immortals, as there are many of us still around, and it's unlikely that more won't show up eventually, so I'm not sure what he thought he was accomplishing. I guess it's enough that he thinks it meant something.

Adam and I are just lucky that we can hide effectively. I'd have hated to find out what would happen if Kell had gotten his hands on anyone over 1000. Amanda, M, me...I think Grace is close to that milestone...Joe promised that he checked, and Grace is still around. I was worried, she hasn't carried a blade other than a scalpel or belt dagger in centuries.

Enough maudlin stuff. I'm supposed to meet with Joe for drinks tonight. He finally found and booked that woman from Kalas' nightclub, the one Duncan got a bit obsessed with, or maybe it was just the song. Hopefully it will pull him out of his sulk.

I hope it works, because I have to head back to Brussels soon afterwards, I'm on my year abroad during a degree in linguistics, I can read the rumbles, and there's going to be a place for language 'prodigies' again soon.

From:

To:

Date Sent: Feb 12, 2001 1126 GMT

Subject: update

So, how goes the new president? His dad was a decent leader, and had some chops, I'm not so sure about this one. I'm still a bit leery about that whole thing in Florida. I'm still in Paris, so the news isn't that complete.

Anyway, the point of my message. You don't have to worry about us anymore. There have been only 3 FDs in the past year, and there are only about 20 left anyway. Amy's the de facto leader, and she's finally realized that it's not worth keeping the company active for so few. She's letting all the field guys go, and is basically making the whole place an archive and library. It's all so quiet…

Joe

May 19, 2001

Today is Ivy Day, it was easy enough to have the white dress; I dug out one of my dresses from WWI Egypt. The hat was for the other day, it's a bit of a hindrance in the crowd when I'm so small, no one would have been able to walk next to me in the aisles. I was very careful to avoid being in photos, as the Watchers haven't revealed our existence to the general population yet. It wouldn't do for someone have an old photo of me (there's a girl whose grandma was one of my tutees from PS 451, and another whose father was at UNC with me) in the same book as one from this weekend. M came for graduation weekend, but he's left me to write while he pesters an acquaintance in the French department who did work at the Sorbonne with him.


	18. Chapter 17

July 10, 2001

Dear Ms Dobbs:

We write to ask if you will serve your country in an official civilian capacity. Our language detachment at Rammstein has lost some personnel, and you have come highly recommended. We are aware of your impending start of graduate studies, but we are prepared to arrange for you to continue your studies, if you accept.

Your duties would include translating in the event of foreign personnel as patients or visitors, partial responsibility for tutoring personnel from all branches of the military stationed here in necessary languages, and record-keeping of the same. In exchange, you will receive GS-7 pay and assistance in finding lodging.

If you have questions, concerns, or otherwise need to contact someone from this office, please call (703) 555-1293 ext 434.

Sincerely

Colonel G. Wallace

Public Liason and Personnel

NATO Army Detachments

_Catherine called to ask a few questions on Friday, mainly about the particulars of who had recommended her, and some clarification of her prospective duties. She'd liked Germany the last few times she'd gone, so she figured she'd give it a try. The worst that happened is that she hated it, and she'd done lots of things she'd disliked. They told her they'd ship her over there on a return flight from dropping some people at Walter Reed the next Monday. She was to meet the plane at Andrews at 0630._

_Catherine boarded the plane with a duffle, a suitcase, and a laptop bag. She immediately pulled a set of ear plugs and some gum out of her pocket and settled in with a novel. The secondary co-pilot laughed, motioning that they weren't leaving quite yet._

"_How'd you know the drill? You seem a bit young to have already done your 3 years."_

"_Oh, I'm a civvie, I just have a friend who did ROTC. During the summers, since he wanted to go Rangers, he learned pretty quickly how to deal with transport planes and helos. When he heard I'd been hired by the military, he shared the wisdom. Also, my great aunt was a MASH nurse back in the day."_

"_Sounds like you'll fit right in…OK. We'll be off soon. We had an emergency addition, a West Point grad senator who needs to get over there quickly, called in a favor."_

_The flight was pretty smooth, no nor'easters to make things bumpy, so she could sleep for a while._

_When they touched down, she jerked out of her doze. The senator snorted at her reaction, she grimaced._

"_Light sleeper. Someone touches me while I'm asleep, they have a broken finger."_

_He nodded and gathered his bag and coat, leaving her to say thanks to the flight crew. When she exited the plane, she saw a middle-aged man in uniform waiting just inside the admin building. He glanced at a photo, then walked over to her._

"_Ms Dobbs? Follow me."_

Aug 6, 2001

Dear M,

I've been in Germany for a few weeks now, and have settled in nicely. They've set me up in a small apartment just off-base, My neighbors are, for the most part, other NATO advisors and administrative staff. So far, I haven't done much other than fill out paperwork and teach a few people who are new to the installation enough German that they can be polite to their counterparts, or go off base for a meal.

The only bright spot, and hold back on the teasing, please, is that my 3rd day, an Air Force Lieutenant came by to file some paperwork. He's a glorified gofer for one of the colonels. He's in charge of keeping all of the personnel files for people under his boss' command up to date. He's asked me out for last Friday night. We went for drinks at the O Club, then to a dance club. Thankfully, it was an upbeat jazz place, and he can jive. Supposedly, a great-aunt lived with them when he was little, she was a WAVE, and taught him how to dance. I was quite impressed. Anyway, he's cute, 24, and a fighter pilot.

Love you, bro.

K

August 31, 2001

Just got back from coffee with Ren, it's really late, but Duncan stumbled across us, and I had to spend an hour explaining who the other was.

_Ren and Kit were sitting in a coffee shop right off base run by a really nice Turkish couple. They were talking about the best way for Ren to learn one of the Middle-Eastern languages, probably Arabic or Farsi. She was perfectly willing to help him with a semi-immersion regime, where if he wasn't on duty, he was hanging out with her and only speaking that language. Ren wasn't so sure about that, as he was worried it would impede his connections with his colleagues, with no 'nights out with the boys'. She'd finally gotten him to agree to a trial run of a couple weeks, starting in a few days, long enough for him to look through a phrase-book first. Then Kit shivered, and they heard a man's voice say, "Fancy seeing you here, Kat."_

_::Damnit, Duncan!:: "Hello, Duncan. Piss off, Duncan."_

"_Who's this, Kit?"_

"_Old friend of the family. I was his language tutor when he moved to Italy for a while. How's the antiquities business?" Continuing silently, she mouthed, "On a date, numbskull, shove off!"_

"_Well, I've said hello, and I'll be around for a few days before I head to see Cassie in Munich."_

"_Right, give her my regards."_

_Once Duncan had left, Ren asked, "Ex?"_

"_No, really annoying guy who's good friends with my brother. Kinda inconsiderate that he didn't let me know, so I could avoid him. He's a huge flirt, and doesn't take no for an answer." Seeing the look on his face, she continued, "Nothing nasty, just persistent, and usually in good fun. I just make a point to occasionally kick some sense into that thick head, literally."_

_With the awkward stuff out of the way, they continued their chat about languages and where they wanted to go on their next date._

It's strange, I've known Ren for such a short time, but…maybe I've finally fallen victim to Rebecca's affliction, love for a mortal. I could never understand why she'd marry every 50 years or so. I mean, Gina and Bobby, they get remarried to each other every 25 years or so…I'm explaining this badly. I could very easily love this crazy, sweet, adrenaline-junkie of a man. And this had to happen on the eve of war?

September 12, 2001

I was in the filing bunker most of the afternoon, so I didn't even know about the Towers until I got back to the apartment and got an email from Grace, letting me know she's OK. She was extremely tired, as this time around, she's a nurse in NYC. I'm worried about what this will mean for us here. Will I be sent back stateside? Will the military personnel get scrambled to wherever Dubya decides?

September 29, 2001

Ren's getting sent off to Afghanistan. Funny, I can easily remember a time we _**wanted**_ the Taliban to win, and now we're at war with them…the vagaries of a long life amuse me sometimes. Ren has until Thursday to get his things together, and collect his jacket. Thankfully, he has progressed in his Arabic studies that he can get his point across, and a solid foundation for picking things up as he goes.

January 4, 2002

Just got a letter from Ren, he finally has a permanent base, he'd basically been sleeping in a crate packed with life-vests and blankets. He likened it to falling asleep in a hotel-style laundry basket. A fairly comfy set-up, but its prone to being moved by one's prankster buddies while he's sleeping. Anyway, he's been nominated to be the liaison with the local populace, as he has the best language skills of the unit. I have a feeling that if they ever have a real base, his current CO is going to request me by name, from how they're raving.

Anyway, I'm starting to really miss him. He gets personal web time for an hour once a week, but he saved it up to have three or four hours to IM me tomorrow at 800 GMT. Thankfully, for my sanity, I'm at Rammstein for a few more weeks. The brass is saying something about TDY-equivalent to Justice. The FBI wants some people to interrogate the guys they managed to catch. If I wear a head-scarf to cover my light hair, I could pull off being Lebanese or Palestinian.

February 14, 2002

Our first Valentine's 'together' and he was bumped out of his webcam slot, as one of the Majors wanted to see his wife on their anniversary. I don't like it, but I understand. Anyway, I'm back in the States, in an extended-stay motel near Quantico until they figure out where they want to interrogate these guys. Thankfully, the FBI's paying for the room.


	19. Chapter 18

To:

From: .

Date Sent: 8 May 2002, 1324 GMT

Subject: Hey, sweetie

Attachment:

Dear Kat,

I haven't heard from you in a couple weeks, did the FBI finally decide what's up and you're at Gitmo or Leavenworth or something? I'm getting a bit worried, the guys are laughing at me.

If you have a chance, could you look through the attached? It's the text of a letter the CO wants to send the local leader. I did the translation from his copy in English, but there are some words that you just don't hear in conversation. Enough shop talk.

I've encountered some beautiful textiles in the village across the ridge, if it weren't for the quarantine and the fact you don't have a permanent address, I'd send you something. I know you can take care of yourself after that darts competition, and the fencing trophies, but…just write back soon?

Ren

To: .

From:

Date Sent: 9 May 2002, 1415 GMT

Subject: RE: Hey sweetie

Attachment: ,

Dear Ren,

I checked over the letter, its fine for the most part, there was one word that you translated the wrong connotation of, wrote about it in the margin. Sorry if it looks like teacher's corrections.

As for the lack of contact, yes, I've been unable to access a web-enabled computer since I started the interrogation. I'm sorry the boys have been teasing you. Maybe you should pay them back by finally retaliating for the 'bed'-moving.

As for the textiles, I'd love some, maybe a scarf? They're starting on war prisoners, so area textiles might be a plus. I hate to ask for a present that's mostly to help with work, but the last khimar/hijab-type scarf I had got blew into the North Sea when I was in Brussels, and it was my favorite, really warm cashmere/silk blend.

These days I go nowhere without an armed Marine within 10 feet; they really are kinda eerie, especially the newest guys, they're basically fresh from Basic. I'm not that much older, but there's this one that has such light hair he looks like he's never shaved other than his high-and-tight. If he weren't about 6'4", he'd look about 14.

Attached, also find a more recent photo, taken while I was relaxing after interrogation. I still have the khimar on, so if I look funny…

Do you have a clue when you'll be back for a bit? I know tours are shorter during combat, but how short are they these days?

Kat

28 June 2002

2:30-CD2350 has signed on

Hey, hurry up!

2:37-CGFlier has signed on

Is this Cat?

Yes, but if you were really Ren you'd know that.

Who is this?

Where's Ren?

Calm down, ma'am, he's a bit loopy and can't type himself.

He jettisoned and hit his head a bit. He's lucid, just on pain meds.

He's dictating, and we have the voice synth on

Oh, OK.

Thank you for the scarf, Ren.

Damn, I feel funny knowing this is coming out not in my voice, and that others are hearing it.

Bob just turned on the dictation software and left, Cat.

Whew, that was strange.

Love you.

Love you, too.

So I heard about when my tour's up. I'll be back sometime the first two weeks of September.

I have a meetings to debrief on the way home though. When do classes start?

On the 4th, but its grad school, so only one class a day.

Good

We have user accounts on the computer, so we can save reports to our own place.

I can set my desktop picture, it's a montage of the pictures of you.

To:

From: .

Date Sent: 7 August 2002, 1631 GMT

Subject: I'll be home soon

Barring any weird stuff, I'll be home on the 5th. Details to follow.

Where are you these days? Or are you not allowed to tell me?

To: .

From:

Date Sent: 9 August 2002, 1415 GMT

Subject: RE: I'll be home soon

Good. As for location...I can't tell you. Thanks for the scarf. I didn't get spit on this week for being immodest.

_Kat waited for Len at the visitors' gate of Andrews, looking tired, but happy. He seemed equally tired (an 18-hour flight will do that), so after a hug and a kiss, they agreed to meet for lunch the next day as a date._

_Halfway through her waffle, Len took her hand._

"_Kat, would you marry me?"_

_After a moment of shocked silence, she nodded, a smile peeking through._


	20. Chapter 19

"_Ms. Dobbs, we're putting all the intelligence stuff under one leadership, so we'll need to re-write your contract. Your job would be the same, but your supervisor structure, and possibly your location, may change."_

"_That's fine with me, as long as I have conditional edit rights. I'm getting married, probably next summer. He's in the Air Force, so somewhere he wouldn't have to use half his leave to get clearance for, or traveling to, would be appreciated._

To: .

From:

Date Sent: 29 November 2002, 0122 GMT

Subject: news on my job

Just got back from a very involved meeting with my three-levels-up boss. There's some reorganization going on in the intelligence community, meaning that since my contract was due to run out in mid-January, I got a chance to change some terms of my contract under the new structure.

How's the liaising going?

To:

From: .

Date Sent: 2 Dectember 2002, 0231 GMT

Subject: update

My job kinda sucks right now, as we got a new group leader who can't even say hello when he meets with the locals. This means I haven't been up in the air for almost two weeks, I've spent so much time being his translator.

I finally got the boys back for their last prank and leaving the door open in the office-the fuel usage forms went everywhere. Since they're supposed to be combat-ready, I couldn't put syrup in their boots, but I did switch their laundry around so their pants are the wrong size. Atomic wedgies and tripping over hems abound!

To: , ,

From:

Date Sent: 13 March 2003, 1402 GMT

Subject: Save the date

Don't plan anything 8-18 August 2003, that's when Len's on leave next. Actual day to follow.

To:

From: .

Date Sent: 9 July 2003, 0411 GMT

Subject: I'll be home

I've contacted the chaplain, we have a slot for our ceremony on the 10th of August at 1000. I assume you called the people you want there?

To: , ,

From:

Date Sent: 10 July 2003, 1102 GMT

Subject: Make your reservations

10th of August at 10AM, Andrew sAFB chapel

AN: I can write more, but this seemed like a good place to end it when I originally planned this out.


End file.
